President Trump Plans Rally in El Paso, Texas

Pesident Trump and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi struck starkly different tones in their border security standoff Wednesday, as President Trump planned a rally in a Texas border city he says exemplifies the need for a Wall and Mrs. Pelosi said she’d back any bi-partisan deal congressional bargainers produce.

“If they come up with a bipartisan agreement, I’m happy to support it,” Speaker Pelosi said.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R:KY), has also given negotiators a green light to seek a deal that he’s said he hopes Trump would find “worth signing.”

If Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader McConnell embrace a bi-partisan agreement, if it suits President Trump he will likely sign it.

President Trump has threatened a new shutdown or a declaration of a national emergency to access other budget funds if he is not satisfied with a deal, steps members of both parties oppose. But know he is dead serious.

Negotiators met Wednesday privately for 2 hours with federal border patrol and customs officials to hear their recommendations on how to secure the Southwest border.

But Senator Richard Shelby (R:AL)., said the officials suggested a 3-pronged approach using barriers, technology and personnel. He said the closed-door session was constructive.

“The dialogue is good. The tone is good. We are talking about substance,” Shelby said.

He also said that in a phone conversation with Mrs. Pelosi, “I just said, ‘Look, can we reach a yes on this in any way or are we wasting our time.’ She said, ‘No, keep working together,’ and she would like to see a legislative solution, the sooner the better.”

In comments that suggested a potential avenue for agreement, some lawmakers suggested that giving local officials a say would be pivotal.

The White House said Trump will hold his 1st campaign rally of the year next Monday in El Paso, Texas. His campaign manager, Brad Parscale, Tweeted that the rally will be held “less than 1000 ft from the successful border fence that keeps El Paso safe!”

In his State of the Union address Tuesday, President Trump cited El Paso as once having “extremely high rates of violent crime. He asserted that with its wall, “El Paso is one of the safest cities in our country.”